A Step Back
by Rosethorn1
Summary: A young woman finds herself in Middle-Earth. Do not be decieved! It's not technically a Mary Sue! Just read it and find out.
1. Part One

Author's Note: This story is based mostly on the book, but for its own purpose I've twisted a part of the beginning of it with the movie. I've also edited it a bit again for the story's purpose, but it isn't in the movie. Don't worry: it's not Arwen ^_^!! Oh, and some light profanity may occur at some point in the story, but that is currently unforeseeable. There will be no more author's notes until the entire story is done.  
Disclaimer: No, sorry, I don't own any of these characters, except for Aragollowen. Rae is a real person so I can't exactly own her!  
  
  
Part 1  
  
Rae Meaker had a bit of a love/hate relationship with her life. During the school year anyway. During fifth and sixth periods (P.E. and math), she tried to hide herself beneath the other students and their achievements. She wasn't exactly smart, and wasn't exactly athletic. You may ask where the love part of love/hate comes in.  
  
The love part came after school, on weekends and even during spare time at school, when she would read the wonderful books she found in various places. She had read all kinds of books in her fourteen years of life, from classics like The Hunchback of Notre Dame to popular books like Harry Potter.  
  
These books were her life, and nothing else in the world mattered to her. She had no friends who lived in her tiny town. It's not that she wasn't pretty, or that she had some sort of attitude problem, but when you move into a small town like Foresthill, California, you don't exactly become popularity queen by spending your free time on the playground reading. Six years ago, she and her parents had moved to where she now lived. She had one friend back in Lake Oswego, Oregon where she had spent the first eight years of her life, and the two of them hardly talked anymore, simply because it was expensive to call and visit.  
  
Her mother had liked the Lord of the Rings trilogy when she was Rae's age and was always trying to get her to read them, but Rae just never picked it up. It just seemed like such a large project to her that would require spending more time reading it in one sitting then her current amount of homework allowed her each night and her current amount of school work allowed her in class.  
  
But then summer came. Now since school was out she had all the time in the world to read the trilogy. She had no idea that that book would change her life forever.  
  
When she started reading, she fell completely head over heels in love for Frodo before she had even finished chapter two. She thought about him constantly. Something about him just drew her to him, and had fallen in love with the little hobbit from the big book.  
  
I suppose that is how this all got started, her falling in love with Frodo, because when she was reading the scene at Weathertop when Frodo got stabbed, her heart was torn in two at the thought of the pain her beloved was feeling, and suddenly, she was in the story! She was kneeling beside Frodo on Weathertop, still wearing her white Gap jacket, red t-shirt, jeans and blue Doc Martens.  
  
She didn't notice that she had been transported to this world. All she was worried about was Frodo. Apparently, that's all Sam was worried about too, because he hardly noticed that there was a strange human girl bending over his master and fretting about him just as much as he was.  
  
Rae frantically tried to think of something she could do to help Frodo, but nothing came to mind. She ended up crying out just as Strider turned to tend to Frodo and saw her there.  
  
"Who are you?" he said to her, and she looked up and suddenly realized where she was. She had read enough sci-fi to know that when some one is transported to another world, it's best not to try and explain their world to inhabitants of this one, so she didn't bother.  
  
"My name is Rae, daughter of Mike," she said, "and, I-I heard screaming, so I came running to see if there was anything I could do to help."  
  
Strider looked her up and down, "Is anyone with you? Are you traveling on foot? Where in Middle-earth did you find those clothes?"  
  
"Em, no, you're traveling on foot, why can't I and I got them mostly at the Gap."   
  
"Of Rohan?"  
  
"No, of Roseville."  
  
"Oh.... Where?"  
  
"I'm sure this conversation is very engaging," Merry said suddenly "but in case you haven't noticed, Frodo is terribly hurt!!"  
  
Rae swore and turned back to the hobbit. Strider then turned to him as well. He examined the wound and shook his head.  
"This is beyond my skill to heal. We must get him to Rivendell." He picked Frodo up and took him over to Bill. He looked at Rae. "You wanted to help? Well you can watch Frodo, and you had better make sure that he does not fall of that pony or you will suffer some very serious consequences that I'm sure Sam here would be happy to fulfill. We must get moving. Hurry!" With that, Rae ran off on an adventure that then none of them could possibly foresee the end of.  
  
***  
  
Four or five days later, they were passing through a forest when they heard at least ten horses following them, one with light hoof falls, the others sounding sinister. The nearer was the lighter horse.  
  
"That doesn't sound like a Black Rider's horse," Rae said, squinting in the distance to try and catch a glimpse of it. But Strider had stooped to the ground and cupped a hand to his ear, with a look of joy on his face.  
  
As the clippity-clip of the horse drew nearer, Strider sprang from the ground and dashed to the horse. Rae, who was quite positive that Strider had all of a sudden lost his mind, left Frodo to Sam and dashed off after him. The rider increased his speed and met Strider more than half way.  
  
"Aragorn!" he called to Strider from the seat of his dazzling white horse, "Who do you have in your party? I ask you this question because there are all nine of the Ringwraiths behind and closing fast!"  
  
"We have the Ring-bearer, Glorfindel," Strider said, "and he has been attacked and is in dire need of the healing hands of Elrond. Can Asfaloth carry him to Rivendell?"  
  
"Can I go with him?" Rae said suddenly, and the two looked at her. "Frodo is in no condition to fight if need should arise, and I would never let anything happen to him. You know that Strider, please let me go." She looked at the man imploringly. Something in her eyes made him think that she would be a help to go, because he said   
  
"Yes, you can go. Use Frodo's sword if needed. Now take him on the horse and go."  
  
"Thank you Strider, thank you!" She nearly hugged him, but at that moment it just didn't seem appropriate. She ran back to Bill and took Frodo. Sam glared at her.  
  
"You had better take extra good care of my master out there Miss Rae, or you will hear about it."  
  
"I know that Sam," she said, and, smiling grimly, carried Frodo to the horse. Glorfindel was whispering something to Asfaloth, and then looked at Rae.  
  
"Are you ready?" he said and she nodded. She placed Frodo on Asfaloth and climbed on behind him, with a little difficulty because there was no saddle or stirrups. As she was safely seated, Strider looked up at her.  
  
"Get across the Branduin. When you're on the other side, the Riders shouldn't be able to get you." Just then, they all heard a terrible screech that sent shivers down their spines.  
  
"Noro lim Asfaloth!" Glorfindel shouted to his horse, "Noro lim!" At that, Asfaloth was off like a shot into the forest.   
  
Riding the horse proved even more difficult than she had thought, but she managed to hold on to Asfaloth with her left arm around his neck and on to Frodo with her right around his waist.  
  
The forest sped by at such a pace that she couldn't see anything clearly, and she just hoped that the horse knew which way it was going because she certainly did not.  
  
Suddenly, something black to her left was going at the same pace that Asfaloth was. She looked at it. It was a black rider, reaching for Frodo. She turned to her right. There was another one! She looked behind her. No less than seven other riders were pursuing them.  
  
"Noro lim!" she said to the horse, and it complied. She got maybe two minutes ahead of the riders and was soon to the river Branduin. They also reached the river, but not until she had reached the other side. They screamed at her, and she quavered. She turned back to face them and her face grew hard. She reached her left hand under Frodo and drew his sword from its scabbard. Those riders would have laughed if they could. Then she shouted at them.  
  
"Darkness of the Enemy!" she cried, holding the hobbit's sword aloft, "Hear me and know that you are facing good that surpasses your evil! Flee in fear! For behold! If you step any farther you will be in the waters of the Ford of Bruinen!" They really did laugh. They approached her.  
  
"Stay back!" she cried, brandishing Frodo's sword at them, and her eyes began to tear, "Stay back!" Suddenly, they heard a rumble, and a great wave crashed down the river. When Rae looked, she could have sworn she saw a great many watery horses with riders of mist, and the wave washed the Nazgûl down the river, and she could see them no more.  
  
***  
  
When she arrived at Elrond's house in Rivendell, an elven woman with dark hair was at the door.  
  
"I am Arwen Undómiel, the lady of Rivendell. Who are you?" she asked Rae.  
  
"Who I am is not important right now," Rae replied, "but I ride Asfaloth, the horse of Glorfindel, and this Hobbit is Frodo Baggins of the Shire, the ringbearer, and he is hurt badly." Arwen gasped.  
  
"Carry him." she said, "Come with me. We must take him to my father. Quickly." She ushered Rae into the house.  
  
Feverishly, Frodo stirred and awoke. He looked at Rae and she saw his eyes open.  
  
"Where-"  
  
"Shh," she said, "We are in Rivendell. I'm taking you to him now. Don't speak!" He fell back into his tortured sleep and her heart fell back into its tortured state.  
  
***  
  
When Elrond had healed Frodo as best he could at the moment and had him placed in a room, he spoke to Rae.  
  
"We have you to thank for getting Frodo here safely, Rae," he told her, "and I will offer you one favor in return."  
  
"You mentioned a council to be held to discuss the fate of Frodo's ring," she said, "and I would like to attend."  
  
He thought for a moment and shook his head.  
  
"I fear that I cannot." he replied, "You are not a person of Middle-Earth, I can tell, and because this meeting discusses the fate of Middle-Earth, it would be inappropriate for you to go." She wanted to cry and scream until he let her go to the council, but she knew it would get her nowhere. She stood up straight, nodded, and left the room. A female elf met her at the door and took her to her room.  
  
***  
  
There she cried as quietly as she could, but it must have been loud enough for any one in the hall to hear because an elf entered her room.  
  
She had long light brown hair and her eyes were brilliant blue. She wore a light green dress and her hair was in four braids on top of the rest of her hair. She stood next to Rae's bed and it took Rae a second to realize she was there. When she did, she turned to the elf.  
  
The light streaming through the door illuminated the pity in the elf's face. She sat down next to Rae on her bed. Pity was a look that Rae could read well, because she often saw it in the faces of the teachers at her school.  
  
"Elrond won't let me go to the council," she told the elf, "because I'm not from Middle-Earth."  
  
"That's not why," she said after some thought, "It's because you're a woman. He wouldn't let me go either. My husband will be arriving soon. I'm hoping he can get me in, but my hopes aren't high. Don't worry. You'll think of something. Now go to sleep; things are usually better in the morning." She left the room and closed the door behind her.  
  
Rae sat alone in her dark room for a moment and then went to the door and opened it. She called down the hall to the elf.  
  
"Hey! Where's the bathroom?"  
  
***  
  
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	2. Part Two

Part 2  
The elf was wrong about feeling better in the morning, but mornings are good times to think, and this morning, Rae lay awake and thought about things. This is when she formulated a plan.  
  
She went to the courtyard where they would be holding the council to scope it out and try to find somewhere to hide during the council. To her dismay, someone was already there.  
  
The tall man was one she had seen riding in earlier. One of Arwen's attendants told her (amidst giggles) that he was Boromir, the son of the Steward of Gondor. When he rode up, he looked up at the window Rae was sitting at, and looked right at her eyes. Rae and the three elf women with her ducked quickly and the elves giggled fiercely.  
  
When she saw him in the courtyard, she turned to go back to her room, but he turned and spoke to her.  
  
"Wait," he said, and reached for her arm to hold her back. "You aren't familiar to me, yet you aren't an elf or of my country. Are you a lady of Rohan?" She turned back to look at him.  
  
"No," Rae replied, "I'm a guest of the Lord Elrond, and I'm afraid I can tell you no more than that. Even Elrond hasn't guessed it all, but I don't really think he intends to."  
  
"Why are you here?" he asked.  
  
"I brought the hobbit Frodo Baggins here from the forest. He was injured."  
  
"Hobbit?" he said, puzzled. "I have never heard this word."  
  
"They're adorable little creatures about ye high-" she put her hand a little higher than her waist, "with furry feet and dark curly hair."  
  
He took her hand and kissed it. She pulled it back away and he looked at her, puzzled.  
  
"You do realise I'm fourteen."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Never mind!" she yelled and turned away to go back to her room.  
  
It was only ten minutes later when she realised that she hadn't staked out a hiding spot.  
  
***  
  
The next day, she went to the courtyard again, but to her dismay, she found a pack of dwarves conversing loudly.  
  
"If you ask me," an older looking one said, "the elves should have given us a room larger than this courtyard, rather than put us all in separate rooms!!!"  
  
"Oh you know those elves," a younger one said, "they think we are just like them, except shorter, stouter and all around better!!!"  
  
"Yeah, and smellier too," Rae whispered to herself, for their stench was so overpowering, that she had to turn around and go back to her room, still without a spot for the council.  
  
***  
  
The next day, Merry, Pippin, Sam, Aragorn and Glorfindel arrived back at Rivendell. Rae came out with everyone else to meet them. She looked everywhere, as she had each day previous, for the elf who had helped her the first night, but she was nowhere to be found.  
  
She heard a man's voice behind her. "You have not yet blessed me with your name." She gasped, and turned her head. It was only Boromir.  
  
"It's Betty Ann." she said, and turned back around.  
  
"Betty Ann?" he said, puzzled again, but he recovered. "Such a beautiful name, for such a beautiful woman."  
  
"Let me remind you," she said sharply, "that I am fourteen years old, far too young to be marrying some one, or what ever it is you have in mind for me."  
  
"Rae!" Sam called over to her, and she had no choice but to walk over to him. She left Boromir in the crowd, more puzzled than ever.  
  
"Hello Sam," she said, smiling.  
  
"Where's Frodo?" he asked.  
  
"He's got a room in the house," she said. "He's doing okay. He tosses a lot in his sleep, but he isn't getting worse. Nor improving, I'm afraid. Elrond and Gandalf both said he should be okay, though."  
  
"Gandalf's here?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, he arrived a day or two before I did."  
  
"Aragorn," a voice said, and Rae looked up. She hadn't even noticed that they were walking toward the house, but they had arrived. Elrond and Gandalf were standing on the porch, and behind them stood Arwen, beaming at Aragorn. The voice was Elrond's.  
  
"We welcome your arrival," he continued, "and Arwen would like to show you and the three hobbits to your rooms." Aragorn nodded and followed Arwen into the house, with the rest in tow.  
  
As soon as they were out of earshot of Elrond, Aragorn and Arwen began to talk to each other lovingly in the language of the elves. So Rae and the hobbits began to speak in a language the four of them would understand.  
  
"After you guys find your rooms, I can take you to see Frodo."  
  
***  
  
Conveniently, Sam's room was right next to Frodo's, so she didn't have to go far to take the three hobbits to see the unconscious ringbearer.  
  
When they walked into the room, Sam let out something of a moan at the sight of his master.  
  
***  
  
The next day, Merry burst into Rae's room.  
  
"Frodo's awake!" he announced. Rae jumped up and ran out her door.  
  
When she bounded into Frodo's room, she wasn't surprised at all to see Sam already there, but she was overjoyed to see Frodo standing, talking to Sam.  
  
"Frodo!" she cried and rushed forward. She knelt down and hugged him. Then something hit her (mentally).  
  
"You have no idea who I am, do you?" she said embarrassedly.  
  
"She saved your life Mister Frodo." Sam said proudly, "She rode you here on a horse, and made sure they treated you right before we got here." Frodo looked at Rae and smiled grimly.  
"Thank you Rae," he said, and she began to melt, "and if there is anything I can do for you, you have only to ask."  
  
"Well, actually," she said on a sudden thought, "there is something you can do."  
  
***  
  
On the recommendation of Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf, Sam and probably the elf who visited her room, Elrond caved and agreed to let Rae attend his council.  
  
***  
  
Tomorrow was the day of the council, and Frodo had just woken that day, so they had a big feast that night. At the Rae sat next to Boromir. For the entire feast, he kept trying to strike up conversation with her, but he kept stumbling over his words. It seemed odd to Rae, because, based on what everyone had told her, he was a seasoned warrior, a captain in Gondor's army, but all that Rae seen of him suggested shy and unsure of himself.  
  
Luckily, about halfway through dinner, a new person to talk to sat down in the vacant seat across from Rae. Tall, blonde-haired and beautiful, he didn't need to explain that he was an elf.  
  
"Hello," he said in his melodic elvish voice, "My name is Legolas. You don't look familiar to me. You aren't Rae by any chance?"  
  
"Yes, I am, how did you know?"  
  
"News flies fast in the mouths of gossipy elvish women," he said. "I hear you're the one who saved the ringbearer."  
  
She turned crimson.  
  
"Oh, it was nothing," she said. He shook his head.  
  
"I think it was." He smiled devilishly and turned his attention to his plate.  
  
Rae decided to humour Boromir, who was clearly miffed, and asked him what it was like in his country. Pleased that Rae was talking to him rather than some elf, he began to boast about Gondor and how important it was.  
  
Half an hour later, Rae's head began to pound.  
  
"Boromir," she said interrupting him in the middle of a rant about the grievances involved in protecting the world from Mordor, "I think I'm getting a migraine. I need to lie down." She said good night and excused herself. When she found her room, she lay down and slept.  
  
***  
  
She awoke before dawn against her wishes, for she had been awakened by someone shaking her into consciousness, coaxing her with her name.  
  
"Rae," the man's whisper called, "Rae," she turned over and opened her eyes.  
  
"Aragorn?" she yawned, rubbing sleep from her eyes, "Is something wrong?"  
  
"No," he whispered, "but there is something I would like you to see, while the sun has yet to rise. Follow me." She put her jeans on, slipped into her boots, and followed Aragorn down the hallways on to a terrace that faced east. It was indeed not yet dawn, and Rae could just barely see the sun over the horizon.  
  
"What are we looking at?" she said puzzled.  
  
"You are about to find out," he said, staring at the eastern horizon. Suddenly, the sky began to turn blue, and a strip of pink over the Misty Mountains began to appear. All of the forest and the waterfalls in Rivendell began to light up. Then there was some orange on the horizon, then yellow. Then, suddenly, unexpectedly, the sun itself emerged from behind the mountains, and every leaf in the forest, still damp with morning dew, began to glisten. Every waterfall began to sparkle, and every stone on the forest floor shone. Even the ground upon which Rae stood began to glow. She looked closer, and the floor she was standing on was made of wooden planks and each plank was shining.  
  
"It's morning wood," Aragorn said, "This whole terrace was built from it. The trees are very rare, but a grove of them is behind the waterfall below us. They get all the sunlight they need from the sun when it rises each morning. That is why they chose to grow behind this waterfall."  
  
"Because it faces east," Rae said, nodding. Aragorn nodded too, not looking at her.  
"But even if the tree is now just wood, it is still living, each morning when the sun rises," He paused, as if deciding what to say next, then said "You are the second human to see the terrace of the morning light at sunrise."  
  
"Why did you choose me?" Rae asked without thinking.  
  
"Because you are different Rae," he answered plainly, looking her right in the eyes. "I felt an instant connection, yet it felt distant and ancient. I do not know what it is, but intend to find out."  
  
With that he turned around and left Rae alone on the terrace.  
  
***  
  
Sorry about inventing the morning trees, I needed to fill in some space and the idea came to me!  
  
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